Lucía Aleñar Iglesias’ Forastera Premieres at TIFF With Poetic Haunting Trailer

Here is the first look teaser trailer for Forastera, directed by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias, making her feature debut with a poetic, grief-tinged drama set under the Mediterranean sun of Mallorca.

The film stars Zoe Stein as Cata, a teenage girl whose Mallorcan summer turns surreal after her grandmother’s sudden death – one she witnesses alone. In her grief, she dons her grandmother’s dress and steps into that role, blurring the line between mourning and embodiment. As Cata transforms, the boundaries between self and ancestor, loss and identity, steadily dissolve.

Also starring in the movie are Lluís Homar (Tomeu), along with Núria Prims, Marta Angelat, Martina García, and Nonni Ardal.

Forastera will make its world premiere in the Discovery section at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

International sales are being handled by Alpha Violet. U.S. theatrical and streaming release details are not yet available.

Here is the synopsis (via TIFF)

Cata (Zoe Stein) might look a lot like her younger sister Eva (Martina García), but their similarities are superficial compared to those that exist between Cata and their grandmother Catalina (Marta Angelat).

Cata and Eva are spending the summer vacation with Catalina and grandfather Tomeu (Lluís Homar) in their home in Mallorca, in the Catalan Mediterranean, with unparalleled views of the endless blue sea and unrepeatable sunsets. The sisters have a lot of time on their hands and not a care in the world — until tragedy strikes and their universe is hit by the loss of grandma Catalina. That is where this beautifully constructed and sensitive piece of cinema truly begins.

The rushed arrival of their mother Pepa (Núria Prims) helps assuage the kids, but the bereft Tomeu is not taking it so well. And so Cata begins slowly fading into the role of Catalina, for which she seems uncannily prepared. First she slips into one of grandma’s unique vintage dresses, then she begins filling the emotional void left by her unexpected passing, which further stirs the pain and unsaid family resentments, but ends up bringing about the long-awaited healing they need.

Watch the first look teaser trailer for Forastera, above.